Don't use sounds that take 4 Parts.   

Most all basic sounds like bass, EP, piano, strings, organ, drums, etc. have single Part sounds.  Use those.  When in the mix of 15 other sounds the extra Parts of the multi-Part sound won't be missed.

The M's huge jump in elements per AWM2 Part means you could, within several limitations, combine multiple Parts together.  It's more trouble than it's worth unless you have a lot of time and are ok with not being successful with every attempt.   However, this jump in elements also means that a single Part sound now can pack more detail and so this is hardly much of a compromise in the M.

Please give us an idea of what you want to do and how you plan to perform it.

I'm creating a pattern on my Yamaha MODX M7 and I have 16 different performances I want to use.

Ok - you can only load ONE performance at a time. You can use SSS (seamless sound switching) with performances that have up to 6 parts. And you can use one page of Live Set slots with each slot referencing one of your performances.

However, the first performance is a layered EP with 4 parts so when I load this performance it takes up 4 parts/tracks

So far, so good. With 4 parts SSS is enabled.

and so if I load the other 15 performances. I will not have enough tracks as I'm limited to 16.

Only ONE performance can be loaded at a time. If you load another performance it replaces the current one.

Is it possible to somehow combine the 4 part performance into 1 track? If not, what are my options?

We need to know how you plan to perform in order to know what options are available.

The way you worded you question makes it sound like you want to load all 16 'performances' at the same time before you actually perform using any of them.

If, based on your thread about patterns and midi files, you plan to use pattern scenes you have 8 scenes/tracks available to use for any ONE performance.

You can prepare that performance and load it using a live set slot.

Then when you are ready to switch performances you can select the next live set slot with another performance and 8 scenes/tracks that have midi files loaded.

Walk up through what you are trying to do.

Do you have effects that need to be taken into account?

What isn't clear from your question is whether you have ONE performance with 16 parts/tracks or you have 16 different performances.

Each performance could have performance level effects, reverb, variation and EQ. And there is only one performance that is loaded and playable at a time.

That one performance can use one pattern which can have up to 8 scenes chained together to play various part combinations and midi files. But there are a total of 16 tracks that can have midi data.

Only parts 1-8 have keyboard control so you, the user, can only directly play 8 parts. But the pattern scenes can play parts 9-16.

So one possibility is to use parts 9-16 for the midi files and parts 1-8 for the sounds/parts you want to play directly.

CAVEAT: on the Modx M if ANY part slots numbered greater than 6 are occupied then SSS is NOT available. So when you switch to a different performance the sound of the current performance will immediately cut off.

Can you give us a better idea of how you plan to use your 16 'performances'? 

Posted by: Jason

↑

Don't use sounds that take 4 Parts.   

When in the mix of 15 other sounds the extra Parts of the multi-Part sound won't be missed.

Unfortunately I tried using single part performances but the sound wasn't what I wanted so I definitely need to use certain specific performances, some of which are multipart. I will take a look at the elements option you mentioned. Thank you. 

Be aware that the Part you start with will always sound "good".  However, the next one-Part sounds might not sound as good as they sound alone.

This is because the sound you start with will have the proper system (reverb+variation) and master effects.  However, the Parts you merge in will inherit these system/master effects which may differ from their own effects.  And, in the process, may not sound right without the native effects.

This same concept applies to the common (performance level) assignable knobs which may impact how the Part sounds.

So if you have any particular Part that sounds off, maybe start with that one so it has all of its correct native components and merge in the other Parts which may be more tolerant of missing some of its native settings.

This may take some experimentation.

And of course you could go back in and try to fix the problems of inheritance but this would be a lot more work and more nuanced than just trying different Parts as the first Part to start the Performance.